TOWNSHIP – The Stark Education Partnership is partnering with economic and business development groups on a plan to help prepare students for a future in Stark County.
The goal is to reverse trends that indicate Stark County’s population is shrinking, aging and impoverished.
A revised strategic plan calls for the partnership to work to “create generations of successful individuals who fulfill their potential and put down roots in Stark County.”
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John Richard, chairman of the Stark Education Partnership, said this can be done by developing programs to guide students along a meaningful career path. This would involve matching a student’s abilities with their interests and helping them kick-start a career.
Businesses need to be part of the effort to help students find jobs that match their skills and interests, Richard said.
Students need to see that they can realize their potential and put down roots locally. Hopefully they will “invest” here by starting families, establishing homes and working here. “They will see they can have a future here,” Richard said.
Stark Education Partnership plan is in early stages
The process is just beginning. See the article : Indiana schools are using high technology and creativity to keep kids safe. Richard joined the Stark Education Partnership last October after working for the Ohio Department of Education as Deputy Superintendent.
Leading the partnership gave Richard a chance to return home. He is a graduate of Sandy Valley High and Mount Union University which taught in area districts and served as superintendent of local schools in Perry.
Richard expected that it would be necessary to revise the strategy of the partnership. He said the new plan builds on the efforts of his predecessors, Teresa Purses and Adrienne O’Neil, who launched successful programs and built relationships in the community.
The tight labor market was a factor in the development of the plan. Over the past year, Stark County’s unemployment rate has fallen below 4% and stood at 3.3% in May, according to the Department of Employment and Family Services. Ohio.
Richard said it quickly became clear that educational programs need to start working closely with businesses to ensure students are prepared for jobs after they graduate.
The Stark Education Partnership, which formed in 1989, is the cornerstone of educational programs – including 17 school districts – throughout the county. The partnership is a non-profit organization created to address the challenges facing education.
Richard said he hopes that as a cornerstone, the partnership can be a catalyst that captures ideas and helps put them into action. He also wants to connect other community organizations and businesses with the county’s strong educational programs.
Making connections
Stark Education Partnership has already aligned with Stark Strengthening and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce to begin reaching out to businesses and development groups.
Area businesses need to get involved with middle school students, said Barbara Bennett, vice president of education for the Township Chamber. On the same subject : UVU Culinary Arts students win big in national culinary competition. Getting involved early can help students hone their interests, she said.
“We have so much talent here,” Bennett said.
Bennett, an engineer who has served on the board of the Stark Education Partnership since 2006, believes a robust system can be developed to connect with and prepare students.
Richard said he was hopeful because Stark County has great assets – a sense of community, a family atmosphere and strong school districts – as well as people willing to work together. “People want things to work here,” he said.
Career technology success
Richard cited vocational technical training programs – such as those at R. On the same subject : Real Estate and Construction News Summary (29/06/22) | Pillsbury – Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law – JDSupra.G. Drage Career Technical Center or in Canton city schools – as examples of what could be developed in county school districts.
Tech programs have been successful in connecting students to fields that interest them and preparing them for careers, Richard said. But the majority of students aren’t enrolled in programs that help them establish a career path, and Richard hopes that can change.
He hopes districts will develop programs where it becomes natural to match a student’s interests and abilities by exposing them to areas where their passions and skills meet.
“We want this to be accessible to all students in Stark County,” Richard said.
The program can expand the basket of opportunities for students, said Rebecca Kuzma, chief operating officer of Strengthening Stark.
Working together
Stark Education Partnership, Stark Strengthening and other groups are working to expand programs that have already begun, Kuzma said. “It’s about working collaboratively to build community,” she said.
The effort was well received, Richard said.
Work has begun to develop advisory groups linking educators and business people, Richard said. Plans are also underway to initiate job shadowing programs.
Business involvement can help match the workforce to the jobs that will be available, said Ray Hexamer, chairman of the Stark Education Partnership and chairman of the Stark Economic Development Board.
“Now more than ever, we need to connect with the kids to keep them in Stark County, or if they’re going off to college, to let them know they have an opportunity to come home,” Hexamer said.
Contact Edd at 330-580-8484 or edd.pritchard@cantonrep.com On Twitter: @epritchardREP
